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For All Students

Academic Year: 2009 – 2010

Basic Entrance Requirements & General Academic Information

English language proficiency

Students whose native language is not English and who have not earned at least an associate’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university must submit an official score report documenting their performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or another equivalent exam approved by the university.
Undergraduates Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official international TOEFL scores (or the approved equivalent exam). A TOEFL score of not less than 500 (paper based) or 61 (Internet based) fulfills the English proficiency requirement for undergraduate admission. Those who earned an associate degree in the United States with a GPA of 2.00 or better on a 4.00 scale are not required to submit international TOEFL scores.

Master’s Degree Students Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official international TOEFL scores (or the approved equivalent exam) . A TOEFL score of not less than 550 (paper based or 79 (Internet based) fulfills the English proficiency requirement for admission to master’s-level study at UIS. Applicants who hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.50 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) are not required to submit TOEFL scores. Note: Some programs require a GPA of 3.00 to waive TOEFL. See individual program statements for any additional proficiency requirements.

Doctoral Students Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official international TOEFL scores (or the approved equivalent exam). A score of at least 575 (paper based or 88 (Internet based) fulfills the English proficiency requirement for admission to doctoral study at UIS.

Immunizations

All students, including those on the Peoria campus, born January 1, 1957, or after, are required by Illinois law and the University of Illinois at Springfield to provide proof of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis. This documentation must be submitted on the UIS immunization form before a student’s first registration at UIS. The purpose of this requirement is to prevent the induction and spread of vaccine-preventable diseases among students and the surrounding community.

Students are exempt from this requirement if they were born before 1957 or if they are taking only online classes. Students may request an exemption based on religious grounds. General philosophical or moral objection to immunization is NOT sufficient for an exemption on religious grounds.

Immunization forms must be completed and on file in the Health Services office before 5 p.m. on the 5th day of summer session and the 10th day for fall and spring semesters to avoid a non-refundable processing fee. Students not in compliance by the time they register for their second semester at UIS will not be allowed to register. Questions about this policy should be directed to the Health Services office at 217/206-6676. The Health Services Office website contains information regarding immunization policies. Students who are currently registered can check their immunization status online.

International students please note: All students who are not U.S. citizens must have a tuberculin skin test done at the Health Services office on arrival before registration. There are no exemptions from the tuberculin skin test for students who are not citizens of the U.S. Students who have a positive tuberculin skin test will be required to have a chest x-ray. Those who have not obtained their chest x-ray 10 days from the date of the positive test will be administratively withdrawn from all classes. Students who have been treated for tuberculosis or who have been treated because of a positive tuberculin skin test in the past must bring those medical records with them. All medical records must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

U of I Residency Status for Admission and Assessment of Tuition

The University of Illinois’ definition of the term “resident” may be different from the definitions developed by other, non-university agencies. Thus, a person who is an Illinois resident for tax or voting purposes, for example, is not necessarily a resident for University of Illinois tuition and admission purposes. The university’s definition of resident status applies both to payment of tuition and admission to the University of Illinois.

Principal elements that determine residency are domicile in Illinois and actions that evidence the intent to make Illinois the person’s permanent residence for a period of 12 months prior to the first day of class. A person has but one domicile at any time. Mere physical presence in Illinois, regardless of how prolonged, is insufficient to establish residency without the existence of action and intent to make the place a permanent residence and principal home. In order to establish bona fide residency under this policy, a person must be independent and demonstrate presence and intent to reside permanently in Illinois for reasons other than educational objectives.

The burden of establishing that a student is domiciled in Illinois for other than educational purposes is on the student. The regulations, factors, and procedures enumerated in this policy will be considered by the university in determining the residency status of students.

The Director of Admissions, or a designee, shall determine the initial residence classification of each student at the time the student enters or reenters the university.

A student who is not satisfied with the determination concerning his/her residence classification may request that the responsible official reconsider the determination. For the purposes of admission, the written request must be received by the Office of Admissions within 20 calendar days from the date of notification of residency status. For the purposes of assessment of tuition, the written request must be received by the Office of Admissions within 20 days of the date of assessment of tuition or the first scheduled day of classes for the term for which the tuition is payable, whichever is later.

The request should include the Petition for Determination of Residency Status and all other materials applicable to the claim. The request and accompanying documentation will not be returned, and the student is advised to maintain a copy for his/her records.

If the student is still not satisfied with the determination after it has been reconsidered, he or she may appeal the decision to the director, University Office for Academic Policy Analysis. The appeal shall be in writing and shall include reasons for the appeal. The appeal must be received by the Director of Admissions within 20 days of the notice of the ruling. It will then be referred to the director, University Office for Academic Policy Analysis. A student who fails to file an appeal within 20 days of the notice of the ruling waives all claims to reconsideration for that academic session. Filing deadlines cannot be extended or waived and applications and appeals not filed in a timely manner will not be reviewed. The decision of the director, University Office for Academic Policy Analysis, shall be final in all cases.

For detailed information on regulations and statutes used to determine residency, contact the Office of Admissions.

Financial Assistance

The UIS Office of Financial Assistance coordinates federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs for all students. Assistance is available in the form of grants, tuition waivers, assistantships, scholarships, loans, part-time employment, and veterans’ benefits. For detailed information, see the “Financial Assistance for ALL Students” section of the current catalog.

Assessment

As an institution in which excellence in teaching is an overriding goal, UIS takes seriously its obligation to look carefully and systematically at what students learn — in other words, to assess student learning outcomes. Information about UIS’ assessment activities can be found at the assessment website at www.uis.edu/assessment.

In Fall 2009, UIS will begin administering the MAPP test, an instrument that measures critical thinking, reading, writing, and mathematics. Each year, a sample of first-time, first-year students will be assessed in the fall and a sample of seniors will be assessed in the spring.

Catalog Requirements

Students may choose to meet the academic program requirements of the Guide to Programs in force at the time of their admission to the campus as a degree candidate or of any Guide in force during a subsequent period, not to exceed seven years for bachelor’s candidates, six years for master’s candidates, and eight years for doctoral candidates. Students who are unable to complete graduation requirements within the specified time, may, at the discretion of the academic program, be held responsible for requirements of the Guide in force during their graduation year, or may be required to re-take courses. In the event a student elects to graduate under requirements specified in a Guide to Programs subsequent to the one under which he or she entered UIS, the student must submit a Student Petition and have it approved by the advisor and the department chair.

Obtaining a Second Degree

Bachelor’s Degrees
Students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree and seek a second one from UIS must complete all hours toward the major that are required by the academic program. A minimum of 30 semester hours toward the second degree must be completed at UIS. If the first degree was earned at another institution, the student must meet requirements in the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience. Credit from a previous degree may not be used for the degree in process.

Master’s Degrees
All program and campus requirements for the master’s degree are in effect even for those students who have previously earned an advanced degree. Credit from a previous degree may not be used for the degree in process.

Doctorates
All program and campus requirements for the doctoral degree are in effect even for students who have previously earned an advanced degree. Credit from a previous degree may not be used for the degree in process.

Academic Advising

UIS is committed to advising students at all phases of their education. The Undergraduate Academic Advising Center serves all freshmen, sophomores, undeclared majors at any stage of degree completion, and students in transition between majors or other academic programs. Undergraduate advisors help ensure that students meet all requirements of the UIS General Education Curriculum and the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience. Students may contact the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center by phone at (217) 206-7471 or by e-mail at uisuaac@uis.edu. The Advising website contains useful information for undergraduates at all stages of the baccalaureate degree.

Faculty advisors work with individual students to see that satisfactory progress is made toward the degree as well as toward personal and career goals. Students can change advisors at any time by contacting their program office. It is recommended that students arrange appointments with their advisors before registering for any given semester.

Freshmen are assigned an advisor prior to summer orientation. Undergraduate transfer and master’s degree students will be formally assigned a faculty advisor during their first semester at UIS. Doctoral students are assigned an advisor when they are admitted to the doctoral program.

Student Classification

Undergraduate students are classified into categories based upon the number of hours earned. Freshmen are those students who have earned fewer than 30 hours of credit, Sophomores have earned 30 to 59.99 hours of credit, Juniors have earned 60 to 89.99 hours of credit, and Seniors have earned 90 or more hours. Graduate students are those working toward a master’s or doctoral degree or certificate.

Course Numbering System

The three-letter prefix indicates that the course is in a particular academic program (e.g., SWK – Social Work, HIS – History) or is offered by a particular unit (e.g., CAP – Capital Scholars Honors; EXL – Experiential and Service Learning Programs). UNI – University courses are offered by a number of units across campus and are open to all students. CAP courses are open only to students enrolled in the Capital Scholars Honors Program.

The three-digit identifying number signifies who may enroll in the course for credit, as follows:

000-099 Open to all undergraduate students. An academic preparation course is generally appropriate for first-year students.

100-199 Open to all undergraduate students. An introductory course is generally appropriate for first-year students.

200-299 Open to any student who has completed the 100-level prerequisites, if any.

300-399 Generally intended for juniors and seniors, but others may register if they have completed 200-level prerequisites, if any.

400-499 Advanced undergraduate, as well as master’s students.

500-599 Master’s students and doctoral students (with permission of their advisors. Additional work and permission of instructor may be required for doctoral-level students to count the course toward their concentration.).

600-699 Doctoral students.

The following terminology is associated with UIS course numbers: Courses numbered 000 to 099 are considered academic preparation courses and cannot be used to meet degree requirements. Courses numbered 100 to 299 are considered lower-division undergraduate courses. Courses numbered 300 to 499 are considered upper-division undergraduate courses. Courses numbered 500-599 are considered master’s courses. Courses numbered 600-699 are considered doctoral courses. Both master’s and doctoral courses are considered graduate courses.

Tutorials

Tutorials are intended to supplement, not supplant, regular course offerings. Students interested in a tutorial must secure the consent of the faculty member concerned before registration and submit any required documentation to him or her.

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses

An undergraduate student who wishes to enroll in 500-level courses for credit toward a bachelor’s degree must get the approval of the student’s faculty advisor and have the course instructor submit electronic approval. The student’s work will be evaluated at the graduate level. Credits earned by undergraduates permitted to enroll in graduate courses can be counted toward the upper-division requirement.

Undergraduate/Graduate Concurrent Enrollment

An undergraduate student within 16 hours of completing all bachelor’s degree requirements may enroll in undergraduate and graduate courses concurrently. Undergraduate students taking courses for graduate credit will be evaluated at the graduate level. Students must complete a Student Petition and have it signed by the instructor of the graduate course (if the course is at the 400 level), the graduate advisor, department chair, and dean. Graduate courses will be so designated when the bachelor’s degree is granted, but this does not imply admission to the graduate program in which the course was taken.

Graduation Contract

All students who plan to earn a degree must file a completed graduation contract, whether they participate in the commencement ceremony or not. It is important to complete the contract as soon as possible, but no later than the posted deadline for the applicable semester. Signatures of the advisor and chair of the degree program are required. Upon receipt of the signed contract, each student will be charged the mandatory graduation contract fee.

Forms are available on the Office of Records and Registration’s website; deadlines are posted each semester.

Commencement

A commencement ceremony will be held each May for graduating students. The following groups of individuals may be eligible to participate in the spring commencement ceremony if they meet all of the listed guidelines. There will be no exceptions to the criteria listed below. Please note that students can only participate in the commencement ceremony in which they are first eligible. Students cannot participate in more than one ceremony for the same degree program.

Summer and fall graduates are automatically eligible to participate. Spring candidates are eligible to participate if their completed graduation contract (approved by the student’s program) is on file in the Office of Records and Registration by the posted deadline and if they will complete all degree requirements by the end of the spring semester. Summer candidates are eligible if their completed graduation contract and an approved Student Petition form asking to participate in the ceremony have been approved by the student’s program and are on file in the Office of Records and Registration by the posted deadline (note: generally, students cannot have any incomplete courses or more than 8 hours (undergraduate) or 4 hours (graduate) still to be taken during the summer term).

All students participating in the commencement ceremony must purchase a cap and gown through the UIS Bookstore. Information pertaining to graduation and commencement eligibility will be sent to students from the Office of Records and Registration in early spring. Students with questions regarding graduation or commencement eligibility should contact the Office of Records and Registration.

Transcripts

The Office of Records and Registration will issue official transcripts of a student’s academic record at UIS only on written request and only to students who are in good financial standing with the University of Illinois. A fee is charged for each transcript at the time the request is made. Additional information about requesting and paying for transcripts can be found on the Office of Records and Registration’s website.

Registration Procedures for ALL STUDENTS

The dates and times of registration are posted each semester on the Office of Records and Registration’s website. This site also contains information regarding current courses and up-to-date information on registration procedures, tuition and fees, and relevant deadlines.

Grade Changes

Course grades are initially assigned by the instructor of record. Subsequent grade changes can only be initiated by the instructor of record who must sign and submit a Grade Change Form to the Office of Records and Registration. In the instructor’s absence, the Dean of the college in which the course was taken may sign the Grade Change Form.

Grading Option Changes

Students may change the grading option for those courses offered with more than one grading option. Changes include standard letter to credit/no credit and vice versa, as well as changes to audit (note: changes to audit can only be made by contacting the Office of Records and Registration). Specific deadlines are published in the course schedule.

Credit/No Credit

Students wishing to select the credit/no credit grading option (when available for a particular course) must officially register their intent by selecting that option via the online registration system before the course is three-fourths completed. No changes are accepted after the designated date. Limits on the number of hours earned under the credit/no credit option may be established by individual programs.

Credit is awarded under this option to undergraduate work that represents a grade of C or better or to graduate work that represents a grade of B or better. For lesser work, a grade of NC is recorded on the transcript. Courses taken for credit/no credit are not included in calculating the grade-point average.

Audit

Students who audit courses are required to pay full tuition and fees. Courses audited successfully appear on the transcript with the grade of AU. Credit for audited courses may not be established under any circumstances.

A change from credit to audit may be made through the last day for authorized withdrawal. Full-time students must include audit courses as part of the maximum load requirement.

The instructor may determine that the audited course should not be placed on a student’s transcript if he or she does not attend class regularly. When enrollment in a course is limited, students enrolling for credit are admitted before audits are allowed.

Withdrawals

Students may terminate registration in a course by officially withdrawing by the deadlines posted each semester. All withdrawals from courses must be made officially according to procedures outlined in the current course schedule. Non-attendance or non-payment does NOT constitute an official withdrawal. Students are financially responsible for all courses not officially dropped according to the policy and deadlines indicated. Specific deadlines will be published each term in the online course schedule available on the Office of Records and Registration’s website.

No withdrawals will be processed after the published deadlines. When the withdrawal occurs after 10 percent of a course has passed, a W appears on the transcript for the course from which the student withdrew. No notation appears on the transcript when the withdrawal occurs during the first 10 percent of a course. Students who fail to withdraw officially from a course at any point will be assigned an F grade.

See the current course schedule for more specific information about withdrawals. Please note that withdrawing from some or all courses may have academic and/or financial implications.

Academic Standards for ALL STUDENTS

Academic Load

One of the requirements to qualify for financial assistance is to be enrolled for at least six credit hours each semester. For additional information regarding what qualifies as full-time status for financial aid purposes at UIS, see the relevant section below.

Full-time students are enrolled for 12 or more semester hours during the fall or spring semesters or six semester hours in the summer term. Those enrolled for fewer hours are considered part-time students.
Most courses at UIS earn three or four semester hours of credit. A full-time undergraduate or graduate student is considered to be one taking 12 or more semester hours.

To enroll for more than 18 semester hours during the fall or spring semesters or more than eight semester hours during the summer term, a Student Petition requesting an overload must be approved by the appropriate individuals. Additional information regarding the required signatures can be found on the Office of Records and Registration’s website.

A graduate assistant’s normal load is 16 to 24 hours for an academic year, eight to 12 hours per semester. Graduate assistants who wish to enroll for more than 24 hours in any academic year must have the approval of the advisor, a department chair, and the appropriate dean. The graduate assistantship tuition waiver covers a maximum of 30 hours per academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

A graduate public service intern’s normal load is 16-18 hours for the academic year, not to exceed 9 hours in the fall or spring semesters. Interns who wish to register for more than 9 hours for any given term must have the approval of the GPSI director. Graduate Public Service interns are not required to register for the summer term.

Academic Probation and Suspension

Students who have a UIS cumulative grade-point average of less than 2.00 (undergraduates) or 3.00 (master’s and doctoral students) will be placed on academic probation. Courses taken for credit/no credit do not count in calculating this average. Students who accumulate 12 hours or more of incompletes are also subject to probation.

Degree-seeking students on academic probation may enroll for up to 12 credit hours in the subsequent fall or spring (six hours in the summer) with approval of the academic advisor. Non-degree-seeking students on academic probation must meet with the Registrar in the Office of Records and Registration and may also be required to meet with a representative of the academic program in which they are taking classes.

Students placed on academic probation for two successive terms will be academically suspended and must wait two semesters before petitioning for re-admission (summer is considered a semester). Appeal forms are available on the Office of Records and Registration’s website. Students in exceptional circumstances may appeal immediately.

Complete details on UIS’ academic probation and suspension policy are available from the Office of Records and Registration.

Grade-point Average

The grade-point average is determined by multiplying grade-point equivalents by the number of semester hours earned in a course, then dividing the total number of grade-points earned in all courses completed at UIS by the total number of hours represented by those courses (excluding courses with grades of ACR, AU, CR, DFR, I, NC, NR, R, or W).

Grade-point equivalents are:

A (4.00)

A- (3.70)

B+ (3.30)

B (3.00)

B- (2.70)

C+ (2.30)

C (2.00)

C- (1.70)

D+ (1.30)

D (1.00)

D- (0.70)

F (0.00)

Grades/Grading

Grades are released only to students in good financial standing with UIS. They are assigned according to the following scale.

A: Excellent

B: Good

C: Fair

D: Marginal, but passing

F: Unsatisfactory or unofficial withdrawal. Courses in which F grades are earned count in determining grade-point average, but cannot be used to meet degree requirements.

AU: Audit, no grade or credit earned. The deadlines for changing enrollment from credit to audit are posted each term. Students who enroll as full-time must include any course they wish to audit as part of the maximum permitted load. For auditing students who do not attend class regularly, the course may not appear on the transcript. Credit for an audited course cannot be established under any circumstances. If enrollment in a course is limited, for-credit students are admitted before audits are allowed. Full tuition and fees are assessed for audited courses.

CR: Credit, represents a grade of C or better for undergraduates or B or better for graduate students.

DFR: Deferred, used only for courses of a continuing nature, such as graduate research. Continues to appear until the course work has been completed and a grade assigned. Re-registration is not necessary, except for graduate closure courses. Courses for which a DFR grade may be awarded will be designated in advance.

I: Incomplete, after a period not to exceed one year, the provisional grade becomes permanent unless a grade change was submitted. Re-registration is not necessary, unless required by the course instructor.

NC: No Credit, assigned to undergraduate students who earn grades below C or graduate students who earn grades below B under the credit/no credit option.

NR: Indicates a grade was not reported to the Office of Records and Registration by the course instructor.

R: Indicates the course has been repeated. The original grade does not count in determining the grade-point average.

W: Authorized Withdrawal, appears on the transcript for the course(s) from which the student officially withdraws.

Undergraduate Honors

Academic honors are bestowed as a means of recognizing and encouraging superior academic achievement among baccalaureate candidates. Only grades obtained at UIS will be considered. The grade-point average will be calculated on all graded, undergraduate credit received at UIS. At least 30 hours of graded credit must be accumulated at UIS to be considered for honors.

• Final grade-point average of 3.50-3.74 will receive a cum laude designation.

• Final grade-point average of 3.75-3.89 will receive a magna cum laude designation.

• Final grade-point average of 3.90-4.00 will receive a summa cum laude designation.

Honor recipients will be recognized at commencement based on work completed at the end of the semester immediately preceding commencement. Honor statements will appear on each student’s diploma and transcript based on the final UIS grade-point average earned.

Deans’ List

UIS recognizes superior academic achievement of undergraduate students at the end of each fall and spring semester. Students placed on the deans’ list must have a semester grade-point average of 3.75 or higher and have completed at least eight graded semester hours (note: this does not include hours graded as credit/no credit) with no incompletes for the semester.

Grades Acceptable toward Graduate Degrees

Master’s degree students may apply a maximum of eight hours of C grades toward a degree, provided that each hour of C is balanced by an hour of A and an approved Student Petition is on file with the Office of Records and Registration. Individual academic programs may determine whether Cs are acceptable toward their degrees. Credit for courses in which grades below C were earned will not count toward master’s degree requirements.

Doctoral students are expected to do scholarly work of high caliber. The DPA Program requires a grade-point average of at least 3.00 and course grades no lower than B (including incoming transfer courses). All DPA courses must be taken with a standard letter grading option.

Graduation Grade-point Average

Undergraduate students must earn a UIS institutional grade point average of at least 2.00 as well as an overall grade point average (including both institutional and transfer credit) of at least 2.00 to receive a bachelor’s degree.

Master’s students must earn a UIS institutional grade point average of at least 3.00 as well as an overall grade point average (including both institutional and transfer credit) of at least 3.00 to receive a master’s degree.

Doctoral students must earn a UIS institutional grade point average of at least 3.00 as well as an overall grade point average (including both institutional and transfer credit) of at least 3.00 to receive a doctoral degree. Grades of B or better must be earned in each class.

Incomplete Work

Students with extraordinary circumstances that prevent them from completing all requirements for a course on time may request a designation of “I” (Incomplete) from their instructor. The assignment of an incomplete is solely at the instructor’s discretion, and requires that the student complete all course requirements within 12 months of the end of the term for which the Incomplete was assigned. When an Incomplete is assigned, the instructor also submits a “provisional grade” reflecting the grade that the student will receive if the course is not completed at the end of 12 months. Students who accumulate 12 or more hours of incomplete work will be placed on academic probation. Please note that re-registration in the course is not necessary, unless required by the instructor.

Repeating Courses

At the end of each semester, the Office of Records and Registration reviews academic history information and marks repeated courses according to the guidelines listed below for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. In order for one course to serve as a repeat of another, both courses must have the same course prefix, number, credit hours, and title. If any of these items differ, a Student Petition must be approved by the student’s advisor and the department chair of the program in which the course was offered. Please note that when there is a credit variance of more than one hour between the original course and the course being repeated, the second course cannot serve as a repeat of the first under any circumstances. If a student feels that a particular repeat has not been appropriately marked or has questions about repeating courses, the student should contact the Office of Records and Registration.

Undergraduate students may have restrictions on the number of times a particular course may be repeated depending on a student’s academic program. When a student repeats a course in which a grade was earned, the second grade will appear on the transcript; the first grade will be replaced with an “R” (repeat) designation and will not count in determining a grade-point average. Subsequent repeats will appear on the transcript and will be used in calculating the GPA.

Master’s students may repeat graduate course work once (excluding master’s project or thesis credit) without penalty unless the academic program does not permit course repeats. The grade and hours earned when the course is repeated will appear on the transcript. The first grade will be replaced with an “R” (repeat) designation and will not count in determining grade-point average. Subsequent repeats will appear on the transcript and will be used in calculating the GPA.

Doctoral students may repeat doctoral course work once (excluding dissertation credit) without penalty. The grade and hours earned when the course is repeated will appear on the transcript. The first grade will be replaced with an “R” (repeat) designation and will not count in determining the grade-point average. Subsequent repeats will appear on the transcript and will be used in calculating the GPA.

Academic Integrity

The UIS community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni are committed to academic excellence, which thrives on honesty, trust, and mutual respect. Academic integrity is at the heart of this commitment. Students are responsible for being aware of the UIS Academic Integrity Policy and for demonstrating behavior that is honest and ethical in their academic work.

Academic violations include plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentation, academic interference, unauthorized access, and facilitation. Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy may result in sanctions including failing the assignment, failing the course, transcript notation, or referral for Academic Hearing.